Mountings with both load bearing and deflection capabilities have been used in the suspension systems of vehicles for many years. In some applications, load bearing suspension mounts, such as elastomeric mounts, are positioned between two vehicle components. These elastomeric mounts are designed to carry compressive and tensile loads, while at the same time allowing the two vehicle components to translate and tilt relative to one another. Typically, an elastomeric mount includes a pad of an elastomeric material, for example, rubber, sandwiched between two mounting plates. The mounting plates are generally positioned between the axle and the vehicle frame such that movement of the axle relative to the payload frame is allowed while static and dynamic loads are transmitted. This type of load-bearing suspension mount may be used, for example, in articulated trucks of the type used at off-road construction sites.
Known elastomeric load-bearing suspension mounts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,439, issued Sep. 3, 2002 and in a GMT GmbH, “special elements” product catalog, for instance, item numbers 613003 and 139017. These suspension mounts have a series of parallel elements embedded in an elastomeric material and positioned between two rigid end members. The parallel elements increase the stiffness and load carrying capability of the mount as compared to a purely elastomeric mount by reducing the bulging of the elastomeric material in compression and the necking of the elastomeric material in tension. Thus, these elastomeric mounts may adequately carry pure compressive or tensile loads when the rigid end members are moved towards or away from each other. However, they are prone to premature failure in the highly stressed elastomeric material when the rigid end members are tilted (i.e., rotated out of parallel) with respect to one another. Premature failure of the elastomeric material or of the bond of the elastomeric material to the embedded parallel elements could result in the need to frequently replace these load-bearing suspension mounts. Replacement is typically difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.
In the suspension industry, particularly with respect to articulated truck suspensions, a robust, maintenance-free, load-bearing mount that has sufficient stiffness to transmit large compressive and tensile loads and sufficient flexibility to accommodate the mounting surfaces translating and tilting relative to one another may be beneficial. The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems or disadvantages associated with the prior art.